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DONT WALK: Sorgiamo stayed true to its word this week, as the event rose from the ashes on a new date, at a new venue, but with all the glitz and glamour one has come to expect from the DW committee. Originally scheduled to happen on the 2nd of March but cancelled due to safety fears, many were left wondering what was to come of the event: would a rescheduling hurt ticket sales, what would happen with rebooking acts, and the logistics of having to put on a whole new show.

Promising a “cacophony of Asian cultures”, this year’s Sitara event, Iridescence, expanded from its South Asian focus to include a multitude of cultures with the theme of iridescence signifying the bright lights of urban spaces across the continent. Held at the new venue of Lochaber Farm, out of town in the other direction from Kinkell, the marquee was far more decorated than other fashion events, with lit-up trees and an ice luge for drinks.

Spring is fashion show season in St Andrews, and in the wake of a show-stopping FS and a stopped-show DONT WALK, CATWALK: Perception had much of an occasion to rise to. And rise they did; goodie bags featuring coupons for a slice of the St Andrews staple Mozza’s, pink Slingsby’s G&Ts on entry, and cupcake servers meandering 601 prepped guests for a night perfectly organized and choreographed to showcase the beautiful boldness of CATWALK. This year the event was supporting the local, national, and international charities Fife Women’s Aid (FWA), Wave Project, and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) respectively.

Looking around the room, one could feel the celebration of African culture at the second annual fashion showcase, Ubuntu. Guests followed the dress code of “regally bold,” wearing bright blues and purples and bold prints representing the styles of countries throughout Africa. The St Andrews Afro-Caribbean Society hosted and honed in on all the details, decking out the Stage in colourful patterns as guests were greeted with tables covered in the beautiful designs that they were encouraged to wear.

Every year, second semester rolls around and St Andrews fulfils all the stereotypes we hear about before arriving, with an inundation of balls and fashion shows. For some of us, that means filling our weekends with glitzy hairstyles, dresses/suits and glamorous nights out with our friends. For others, myself usually among them, it means that our studies and/or sleep is periodically punctuated with the loud revelry of people returning from those nights out.

Perception is a funny thing. Fresh from last year’s roaring success of PARADIGM, a total raised of £12,900 for the three charities, and an August that saw them place third in the “Big Impact, Small Budget” category at The National Student Fundraising Conference 2018, CATWALK is back. Long-proud of its Union and Charities Campaign affiliation, CATWALK 2019 will be taking place outside of RAG week again on the 9th of March, but as always will give 100% of the proceeds to Union-nominated charities. CATWALK sits on the executive committee of the Charities Campaign this year, giving it wider creative autonomy under the Union umbrella, and the local, national, and international charities that the fashion show will be supporting are Fife Women’s Aid (FWA), Wave Project, and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) respectively.

Having never attended a DONT WALK Charity Fashion Show before, I was excited to see if the real event could actually live up to all the publicity hype. With copious amounts of sponsored Lanson champagne free for guests, an array of designer fashion on the catwalk, and music performances that had the entire place buzzing, DONT WALK 2018 exceeded all expectations. The event was a hybrid of fashion and future, with an atmosphere, an energy, that was simply electrifying.

Following their smashing launch dinner and after-party, the arty provocateur of the St Andrews fashion dynasty DONT WALK released a spectacular new online presence to further promote the show coming the 24th of February. The sleek, newly-designed website debuted a time capsule of DW’s past ten years with an archive gallery of never-before-seen media. What DW is offering now is a fully fleshed-out image of the show’s persona, a digital family photo album illuminating the depths of the selectively accessible event. Where the initial introductory video only provided flashes of stoic models betwixt mirrors and fluorescent lighting, this launch effectively pulls back the covers whilst simultaneously maintaining an air of mystery.

The charity fashion show DONT WALK is having its model castings this coming Friday and Saturday. Auditions are inevitably a nerve-racking experience, but if you give it a shot, you may be able to be a part of a truly exceptional organization, one which has always aroused intriguing discourse through its creative visions.